Hindu festival · computed for New Delhi
Maha Shivaratri 2027 Date and Nishita Kaal Puja Time
In 2027, Maha Shivaratri in New Delhi falls on Saturday, 6 March 2027. The great night of Shiva — fasting, vigil and worship through the night.
Nishita Kaal Puja Time: Niśītha: the eighth of the fifteen night muhūrtas, around local midnight.
How the date is decided
Chaturdashi of the waning fortnight that ends the amanta month of Magha (Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi in the purnimanta calendar), on the night the Chaturdashi covers midnight (niśītha kāla).
Dates for the next few years (New Delhi)
| Year | Date | Nishita Kaal Puja Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 15 February · passed Krishna Chaturdashi: 5:05 PM, 15 Feb → 5:35 PM, 16 Feb | 12:09 AM – 1:01 AM, 16 Feb |
| 2027 | Saturday, 6 March Krishna Chaturdashi: 12:04 PM, 6 Mar → 1:47 PM, 7 Mar | 12:08 AM – 12:57 AM, 7 Mar |
| 2028 | Wednesday, 23 February Krishna Chaturdashi: 10:45 AM, 23 Feb → 1:27 PM, 24 Feb | 12:09 AM – 12:59 AM, 24 Feb |
| 2029 | Sunday, 11 February Krishna Chaturdashi: 1:30 PM, 11 Feb → 2:35 PM, 12 Feb | 12:09 AM – 1:01 AM, 12 Feb |
See the day's full panchang for New Delhi →
In your city
The tithi changes at the same instant everywhere, but sunrise, sunset, midnight and moonrise are local — so the day a festival falls on can differ between cities, especially abroad.
| Date | Saturday, 6 March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Nishita Kaal Puja Time | 12:08 AM – 12:57 AM, 7 Mar |
Cities with a different date in 2027
- San Francisco Bay Area: Friday, 5 March 2027
About the festival
Maha Shivaratri, "the great night of Shiva", falls on the fourteenth night of the waning Moon before the new moon in Phalguna (Magha in the amanta reckoning). Of the twelve monthly Shivaratris it is the one kept most widely. Traditions connect it with the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, with the night Shiva performed the cosmic dance, and with the appearance of Shiva as an endless pillar of light.
It is a night rather than a day festival. Devotees fast, stay awake, and worship the Shiva linga in the four praharas (quarters) of the night, offering water, milk, bilva leaves and the chant Om Namah Shivaya. The most important worship is at niśītha kāla, the midnight muhūrta, which is why the date depends on which night the Chaturdashi covers midnight. Temples such as Kashi Vishwanath, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Pashupatinath in Kathmandu draw very large crowds.
The fast is traditionally broken the next morning after sunrise, within the Chaturdashi where possible.
Common questions
When is Maha Shivaratri 2027?
In New Delhi, Maha Shivaratri 2027 is on Saturday, 6 March 2027. Krishna Chaturdashi: 12:04 PM, 6 Mar → 1:47 PM, 7 Mar.
What is the Nishita Kaal Puja Time for Maha Shivaratri 2027?
For New Delhi: 12:08 AM – 12:57 AM, 7 Mar. It is computed from the city's own sunrise and sunset, so other cities differ by a few minutes or more.
Is Maha Shivaratri on the same date in every city?
Mostly, but not everywhere: in 2027 the date differs in San Francisco Bay Area, because local sunrise, sunset or moonrise falls on the other side of the tithi change there.
Why is Shivaratri decided by midnight?
The texts place the main worship at niśītha, the eighth of the fifteen night muhūrtas — around local midnight. The festival is kept on the night when the Chaturdashi tithi is current at that time, which is not always the calendar day on which the Chaturdashi begins.